OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklah. — A pair of human-trafficking arrests in the Oklahoma City metro are raising new concerns about how quickly exploitation can begin, and how often it happens out of sight, authorities and advocates say.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics announced two separate human-trafficking arrests Thursday.
In one of the cases, OBN said two of the victims were children.
Mark Woodward, a spokesman for OBN, said the investigations involved people accused of arranging commercial sex online. “These were people who were facilitating dates online for commercial sex on commercial-sex websites. They were helping orchestrate the trafficking and prostitution of individuals. In one case, it was minors as young as four to nine years old” Woodward said.
Woodward said trafficking often starts with a relationship built on trust, and that technology has changed how predators find victims. “In this day and age of technology, it’s not obvious out on the street corners like you would see 20 or 30 years ago. It’s on a smartphone with a couple of clicks—arranging a date, a location, a time and a price,” he said.
OBN said 28-year-old Brenton Dewayne Parker was arrested Thursday on complaints of pandering and aiding and abetting prohibited acts.
The charges stem from a victim-recovery operation last fall in the Oklahoma City metro.
OBN said one victim was recovered, and agents said Parker aided and facilitated the commercial sex of that victim.
In a separate case, OBN said 48-year-old Lorrie Lynn Kennedy was arrested after a multi-county grand jury returned an indictment accusing her of trafficking two minors for commercial sex, child exploitation and child neglect.
OBN said the children were between the ages of 4 and 12.
Advocates warned that predators can reach children through social media or video games, even when parents are nearby. “Someone might be targeting your kid while they’re sitting right next to you on the couch,” said Melissa Eick of Dragonfly House.
Dragonfly House said it served 338 trafficking victims with highly intensive needs last year in Oklahoma.
Eick said traffickers look for vulnerabilities and use them to build trust. “Traffickers identify a person’s needs, whether shoes, affection, or belonging, and use them to groom and manipulate them,” she said.
Eick urged parents to pay attention to changes in their children’s behavior and who they are communicating with, and to tell kids not to overshare online: including not giving their last name or where they go to school.
She also warned trafficking can happen close to home. “Trafficking is not only something brought into Oklahoma through the highway system—it can happen within the state and even involve a trusted adult or guardian,” Eick said.
Woodward said victims can get help and report trafficking without revealing their identity. “These victims of human trafficking, whether a juvenile or an adult, they don’t have to remain quiet. There’s help out there. They can remain anonymous, and we can get them assistance. There’s agencies certified and shelters ready to go to help these victims,” he said.
OBN encouraged anyone who is a victim of human trafficking, or knows someone who is, to reach out anonymously by sending a direct message on social media or by visiting the “You Are Not Alone” resource page.
To report human trafficking and stay anonymous click here.
